Galatians 1:15-17 15 But when God who had set me apart from the womb of my mother and called by his grace 16to reveal his Son in me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult with flesh and blood 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia and returned again to Damascus.
Paul believed God had a special purpose for him even before birth. This is a remarkable statement that echoes some of the Old Testament prophets such as Jeremiah. Everything in Paul’s life contributed to his call to preach the gospel. God had a plan for Paul. Paul’s family, training in the study of Scripture, personality and zeal, and many other aspects of who he was all contributed to the person he became in Jesus Christ. The old Paul/Saul who struggled under the yoke of the law was gone, yet much remained about who he was. He was the same yet different. God had been drawing Paul to himself all Paul’s life through prevenient grace.
This happens to all people as well. God has created each of us unique and with various personalities and gifts. These can be used for selfish reasons, such as was experienced by Saul of Tarsus until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. These essential aspects of who we are and what we have experienced can be sanctified and used in special ways for God’s kingdom. We may not be called to go preach like Paul was, but God has a purpose for each of us if we will only seek him and his kingdom first.
Paul’s gospel came by way of revelation of God’s Son within Paul. Saul’s vision in Acts was external; he saw the risen Jesus. But this really was an internal vision that transformed Saul from the inside out. His mission was compelled by this inner change. From the deep well of new life came a new zeal to preach the gospel even if it meant great suffering.
Paul was called by grace into this new ministry of preaching. This was not something he chose. He was not the son of a preacher. He was not compelled to carry on a family legacy. God chose the worst of sinners to show his grace (1 Timothy 1:12-17). The purpose of this grace was to reveal Jesus in Paul. Paul wanted people to see Jesus and not himself (see 1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul had a special ministry calling of preaching to the Gentiles. From the very moments of his new faith, his direction was clear. He did not know where this calling would take him and was not concerned about the specifics. The book of Acts shows that he and his travel companions relied on the direction of the Holy Spirit who spoke and prompted them to go to various cities throughout the Roman Empire.
Paul did not need to consult anyone about the validity or truth of this message. He appeals in this letter to direct revelation of his gospel to show the origin as from God and not any human being (the idiomatic flesh and blood). This adds authority to everything he writes in the letter. Verse 17 adds further weight to this idea in that Paul did not consult even the apostles in Jerusalem. He did not need their stamp of approval or commissioning. He began his ministry right away by going to Arabia and Damascus. It is difficult to see how this type of rogue authority would be received in the world today, especially because there are so many charlatans and heretics who bend the gospel. Most of these are independent of any denominational structure. There is a sense that a call to preach is not dependent upon any human authority. If the message a person preaches is the authentic gospel, and he or she has a clear conscience before God and call to proclaim the good news of Jesus, then there should be nothing that stops that person. Working within a denominational structure ensures the validity of the message and the quality of character. It may be wisest not to be lone rangers of the gospel. Even Paul worked with colleagues who confirmed everything he preached.
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